The Texas Department of State Health Services on Friday recommended lifting restrictions on distribution of the swine flu vaccine.

Published 8:49 pm, Friday, December 11, 2009

The Metropolitan Health District will continue to focus on school-age children for now, Director Dr. Fernando Guerra said, but private physicians and pharmacies will have the vaccine available to the general public.

"In the public sector, we are getting the supply targeted for us," he said. "We will continue that way until we get the larger distribution. There is no guarantee we will get it before the Christmas holidays."

Guerra urged residents to get inoculated before the holidays, when people from other parts of the country might bring another wave of swine flu to San Antonio.

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"We have reached a point where supply is catching up with demand," said Dr. David Lakey, state health services commissioner, in a statement. "We have been looking forward to reaching this milestone."

Texas has been allocated about 6.7 million doses of the vaccine by the CDC.

The state health department says those who want the vaccine should check with their health-care providers or use the state's flu vaccine locator at TexasFlu.org.

At least seven other states, including Colorado, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina and Oregon, have opened vaccinations to all residents; and several other states are considering lifting restrictions soon.